When Dudley Met Luna
by Peach Wookiee
Summary: The story of how Dudley Dursley figured out girls, met and won the heart of the most unlikely woman... a witch that sees the unusual.  Expanded from my fic, Reconciliation. Epilogue UP!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I: Of Girls and Great Plans

_Hello, Potterheads! I finally figured out another Potter fiction as I am emotionally drained from writing chapter 16 of my Yu-Gi-Oh! fiction, __**The Jedi League of Duelists**__. *Shameless plugging… I'd really like some reviews on that one!* That story is nowhere near done, and I had initially thought I had completed the world I'd written in my lone Potter fic, __**Reconciliation**__. But then I thought why not write how Dudley finally met Luna Lovegood? Yes, Luna! For some reason, I thought that Luna might actually be the ideal partner for Dudley. He needs a little nonsense in his life and Luna could use the balance of a Muggle young man who didn't believe in magic until his cousin, "The Boy Who Lived," showed him the way… This story begins about a month after the first chapter of "Reconciliation." I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters. They all belong to JK Rowling._

_**Author's note, nearly four years later:**__ I chose to edit this story at the kindly given suggestion of the reviewer presently known as Imperfections. The heart of this story is unchanged, though there have been cosmetic improvements. And thanks to Aspiring Mythmaker who helped me with a troublesome paragraph. Most of the original author's notes will remain unchanged; however, there will be addendums like this one. Thank you for your attention._

Dudley Dursley had never had much luck in romance. At Smeltings School, though he had been well-known for his boxing prowess in his final years at the school, he'd also been known as a bully. That had not exactly endeared him to the young women at the school. In fact, many of the young women just plain detested him. Much to his mother's grief, Dudley had figured that he would inevitably give her no grandchildren.

One year and one month after Dudley had left Smeltings School and reunited with his wizard cousin, Harry James Potter, the boys were talking about the mysteries of the fairer sex over a pot of tea. "Harry, I hope you can set me up with someone…"

"Dudley, didn't you have girlfriends at Smeltings?" Harry asked, green eyes widening. Surely, with his champion status, Dudley had gotten some interest.

"No… they… well, they hated me," the large young man admitted. This admission would have been unthinkable, save for an event nearly four years ago when Harry had saved his cousin from dementors, the former guards of Azkaban. But now, Dudley felt he could tell his cousin the truth about anything.

"Why?" Harry asked as politely as he could manage. There was some part of him that wanted to glory in his cousin's humiliation. However, that part was silenced when Dudley answered, his cheeks pink,

"Well, I was a bit of a prat and a dunce until fifth year. They got scared of me and just plain detested me."

"Yeah? Well, did you ever try talking to them?"

"Yeah, but…I don't know where I went wrong…"

"What did you talk to them about?"

"I never could get the words out, exactly. And I turned Dad's color when he gets angry."

Harry thought a moment. "Big D… I think you need to do some talking and some reading. Kreacher?"

CRACK! "Yes, Master Harry?" queried a house elf with snow-white hair coming out of his ears.

"Could you go back to Grimmauld Place and get _Twelve Fail-safe Ways to Charm Witches, _please?"

"Yes, Master Harry, at once!" The old elf bowed deeply and Disapparated.

"_Twelve Fail-safe Ways to Charm Witches?"_ Dudley asked.

"Yeah, Ron got it for my seventeenth birthday, and I didn't need to use it. I've read it and I think it gives you insight into Muggle relationships."

"All right, then. So, what kind of talking should I do?"

"First," Harry answered, "tell me how you think men should talk to women."

"I…" Dudley thought carefully for a minute. "You know, Harry, I never really thought of it before. And Dad never has talked to me about it. But I think men need to talk to women like they're friends. But not exactly like you'd talk with another guy."

Harry smiled at this. "Excellent, Dudley! I think you've got the first basic thing."

"Cheers, Harry. So what else do I need to know?"

"Well, all girls are different. I had my troubles partly because the first girl I ever went out with had emotional difficulties after her boyfriend was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

"Who was that?"

"Her name was Cho Chang and his name was Cedric Diggory."

"Cedric… Oh, that guy that you had nightmares about! Why didn't you ever say anything?" Harry looked at his cousin. He didn't have to say a word. "I guess we never made you feel you could talk to us. If I'd really thought of it, I'd have stopped listening to Mum and Dad a long time ago…"

CRACK! "Master Harry, here is your book," squeaked Kreacher.

"Kreacher, if you'd like, take a break with Winky. She's having a cup of tea," Harry said, and Kreacher bowed deeply again, heading off to find the female house elf. "So," Harry said, "since you've disregarded Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's opinion of magic, let's get to it…" And so Dudley opened up the book and began to read…

_So, what do you think so far? Good, bad, indifferent? Shall I continue? I think I can get a few chapters out of this… Read and review, folks!_


	2. I'll Make a Man Out of You!

Chapter II: I'll Make a Man Out of You!

_Within a few minutes of posting the first chapter of "When Dudley Met Luna," I had two story alerts and over a dozen hits. It seems the HP story section is rather busy… So I decided to get started on chapter two. If I were to pick a song for this chapter, it would be "I'll Make a Man Out of You" by the late Jerry Goldsmith and featured in Disney's __**Mulan.**__ Harry has put Dudley through a brief training course that is rigorous… Enjoy!_

_**Author's note, four years later:**__ I don't own the Potter-verse; I just play in it. And thanks to Imperfections for her suggestion. Further, this chapter is a bit dialogue-heavy. Thank you for your attention._

"Dudley, I'll make a man out of you yet. And you _will_ find someone." Harry Potter had promised this a week ago when Dudley had finished reading _Twelve Fail-safe Ways to Charm Witches _and had managed to talk to a female neighbor in quite a friendly way. The training had been vigorous…

"This book is bloody huge," the Smeltings graduate muttered, examining the cover and back two weeks earlier.

"Dudley, it's only 300 pages. Surely you read more than this at Smeltings, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I don't do well with recall…"

"You should meet Hermione… Her ability to memorize books is rather scary, but helpful."

"I'll try, Harry, I'll really try." And so, Dudley managed to read the book in two days. Harry then tested him according to O.W.L. grades, which meant that Dudley would receive "O" for "Outstanding," "E" for "Exceeds Expectations," "A" for "Acceptable, "P" for "Poor," "D" for "Dreadful," and finally "T" for "Troll."

"So, what did I earn, Harry?" Dudley asked eagerly.

"You won't be pleased, Big D… You only scraped… an E."

Dudley looked right into Harry's green eyes… and grinned. "Blimey! I did that good?"

"Yup. Nice work. Now let's practice…" Harry had bought a mannequin, dressed it in women's clothing and bewitched it to act like a young woman might act. If Dudley did well, she would compliment him. If he bored her, she would head off to the bathroom for a few minutes. And if he said something offensive, the mannequin would slap Dudley and storm out of the room.

Dudley sat down at the kitchen table with a plate of food, a glass of water and a bread basket between him and the mannequin who'd been christened Cheryl. "Good evening, Cheryl," Dudley said pleasantly. "I'm terribly sorry I was late; the boss kept me late."

"Quite all right," Cheryl answered. "What a lovely shirt you're wearing this evening! Did you get it at Harrod's?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. I found it last weekend at Harrod's on a sale. Do you like shopping there?"

"Oh, yes, it's a most wonderful shop, but I also prefer Harrington's. I believe you have good taste in clothing, Dudley. So what do you do for a living?" Dudley launched into explaining his dream job, being a champion Olympic boxer. Obviously, he went into too much detail because Cheryl said, when he'd taken a breath, "Please excuse me for a moment, Dudley, I need to freshen up."

"You bored her, mate," Harry said, just barely able to keep a straight face.

"So what do I do?"

"Ask her about her job and what she likes. Let her talk and cue you."

"All right. You gave her a job?"

"Something for her to talk about…"

Then Cheryl returned. "Terribly sorry, Dudley, but I needed a moment."

"Quite all right," Dudley answered, helping her back into her chair.

"Oh, thank you, are those Nikes?"

"Why, yes. So what is your job?"

"I'm a dental assistant, but I'm training to be a dentist."

"That's excellent. Where would you like to practice, if you could?"

"One of the smaller towns, if I could. Some people out in the countryside just don't have access to a decent dentist."

"That's wonderful. So what sorts of movies do you like?"

"Oh, romantic comedies, historical documentaries, science fiction, dramas and the occasional musical. What about you?"

"I like science fiction, dramas, action/adventure and romantic movies…"

"Oh, what type of romantic movies?"

Dudley got what he thought was a suave expression on his face, but Harry thought it was rather perverted. "The type for overage people…" SLAP!

"YOU PERVERT! I HOPE YOU CAN FIND SOMEONE WHO LIKES AN INSENSITIVE PERVERT!" Cheryl yelled, and stormed out of the room. The "date" was over…

Fortunately, the next date with Cheryl had gone better. _Dudley would've gotten to a lot of quality snogging with her if she'd been a real girl, _Harry reflected two weeks later. _But why are regular women not interested in him?_ Harry had hoped the female neighbor was single, but she was already seeing someone. Harry had pulled a favor with Cho Chang because she was currently single and wanted a chance on the dating scene. She had gone out with Dudley, but just found him uninteresting. Then Harry had called Eloise Midgen. She called Dudley "a brutish Muggle who has no real life in him." Then Harry had tried the Patil twins. Parvati called Dudley "cowardly," because a Muggle mugger had shown up, Dudley had screamed like a girl, and Parvati had had to stun the mugger with her wand. Padma had found Dudley "boring, ill-informed and exceedingly stupid."

So Harry asked the only remaining witch he could think of. "He's a Muggle, but he's a decent man."

"Isn't he the one you complained about all those years at Hogwarts?" she asked.

"Yeah, but he's grown up. So, would you consider going out with him?"

"I'll do it, Harry, because you are my friend and I might actually find him pleasant."

And so, two weeks after Harry had begun Dudley's training program, Dudley was waiting anxiously in the living room of Number 4 Privet Drive for his date to come. "Will she Apparate or fly in?"

"Dudley, calm down! She'll be here any second." Then a knock came on the door. Winky answered the door, and then the young lady entered.

Dudley had never seen such an unusual and yet pretty woman. She was wearing distressed jeans and a pink sweater, which complemented her blonde hair and bright blue (and strangely protuberant) eyes. "Hello, Harry," she said, giving him a hug, "where's this Muggle cousin of yours?" She hadn't noticed him, and then observed the large young man, standing in the sitting room. "Oh, hello, there. Are you Dudley?"

"Yes, I am, and may I say you look lovely?" he asked, moving forward to take her cloak.

"You may, and my name is Luna Lovegood."

_How was that? Read and review! And thanks to darklight for being my first reviewer! I try to respond to all my reviews, folks! If I haven't ever responded, please let me know!_


	3. Dudley and Diagon Alley

Chapter III: Dudley and Diagon Alley

_I apologize for the delay in bringing you the next installment. Between a little writer's block, physical therapy and writing a resume, cover letter and job application, I've been a little less than creative. I must say I've been impressed with the responses I've received to my stories. I really enjoy reading all reviews, including the ones that tell me I need to improve in certain areas. Don't be afraid, if you see something, to point it out. I have been an English teacher and I know that even instructors don't know it all (as much as they'd like to pretend they do). By the way, if I owned Harry Potter, I'd be JK Rowling!_

_ Well, Dudley has just met Luna. Oddly enough, she's dressed as a Muggle and Dudley thinks she's beautiful. We will find out what happens next…_

_**Author's notes, four years later: **__The necessary repairs have been made. I hope they improve your reading experience. Please kindly remember that I do not own the Potter-verse. If I did, I'd be JK Rowling and this would probably be canon. Thank you._

If Luna Lovegood had had any doubt about agreeing to date Harry Potter's Muggle cousin, Dudley, those doubts fell away the minute she saw the blonde, buff Muggle man. "Oh, my… you look as if you've been blessed by Gernumblis!"

"Well, che… what?" Dudley started to thank her, and then was confused.

"Oh, I forgot, you probably know nothing of garden gnomes or Crumple-Horned Snorkacks! Gernumbli is the true name of the garden gnome. If they bite you, it's good luck."

"Then I must've been bitten by one today," Dudley responded suavely, "because I've just met you."

_Good going, Dudley,_ Harry thought with a small grin on his face._ Perfect ice-breaker._

"So, Luna, did you go to Hogwarts with Harry? Someone told me you helped him fight the people who worked for Lord… what was his name?"

"Voldemort… it's so nice to be able to say his name without fearing he'll suddenly appear and gouge out your eyes." Harry's eyebrows raised at this, and Luna explained, "I guess you wouldn't know about this, Harry, as he was trying to kill you all those years, but Daddy heard that if you said **his** name, he would appear and gouge your eyes out before feeding you to werewolves…"

Harry, unable to help himself, began to laugh… _Ron's right! She is great to have around for the humor!_

Dudley smiled at this, however, and said, "That sounds like a Muggle ghost story I once heard. Maybe our worlds aren't that different. So, do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"No, and my mum's dead. She died experimenting with a spell when I was nine. That's the reason I can see thestrals. Harry can see them, too." Harry had explained to his cousin what thestrals were, so Dudley didn't have to ask.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I miss her, but it's not as if I won't see her again, is it?" Luna answered.

"You believe..?"

"Yes, I do. So would you like to go somewhere for dinner? If you'd like, we could go to Diagon Alley in London. There are wonderful restaurants there," she offered. Dudley had initially been thinking of Muggle restaurants in Little Whinging, but nothing had quite jumped out at him, so he readily accepted Luna's suggestion. He'd also gotten some Wizarding world money, so he could pay or at least pay his own way.

Luna and Dudley left Privet Drive in his car (Harry had recommended against magical transport) and headed quickly to London. The two chatted casually through the drive, and both found themselves enjoying each other's company. They parked in London at a garage near a record store, and Luna led Dudley to a pub across the street. "No one seems to see it," the blonde boy observed.

"Muggles seldom do. But because you're with me, you see it. This is the Leaky Cauldron. It's a very old tavern and it's the way into Diagon Alley. We could eat here if you want, but it's a lot of publicity because everyone knows who I am and once they find out who you are, they'll be mobbing you for your autograph."

"Okay, then, where else could we go?"

"There's a very nice French restaurant down the way or there's a hamburger restaurant that just opened." The two walked quietly through the crowded pub (both were grateful that no one noticed them) and out to a small courtyard. "It's three up and two across," Luna muttered, taking out her wand.

"What?" Dudley asked and then saw his date tapping a brick in the wall. The wall changed shape into an archway big enough for the both of them to step through, so Dudley offered Luna his arm. "May I assist you?" he asked formally.

"You may," she said, taking his arm as they stepped through.

Nearly eight years had passed since eleven-year-old Harry James Potter had first set foot into this place in the magical world. Though Harry had been a child and Dudley was a young adult, their sense of amazement was nearly the same. "I'm pleased you've never seen this place before," Luna said, "because you'd notice a lot of changes." Some things hadn't changed since Harry stepped into the Alley. For example, Eeylops Owl Emporium still was in business and selling all varieties of owls, as were Quality Quidditch Supplies and Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and Gladrags Wizardwear. There were some new shops, too, such as Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Finnegan's Bake, a bakery.

"Could we wander around a little bit?" Dudley asked.

"Sure. Where would you like to go first?"

"How about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes? Harry's told me a lot about it."

The first thing that struck Dudley Dursley about Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was that it was… very, very bright. There were many exploding, spinning and flashing things in the shop window. "Oh, my…"

"George has kept the place up wonderfully since his brother Fred died defending Hogwarts. We thought for a little bit there that George would never be able to be funny and happy again. And then his older brother Percy said he'd like to work there, if George forgave him for treating the family like dirt for almost three years…" Dudley nodded a bit sadly, thinking of how he'd treated his cousin.

Dudley asked, "Did they make up before..?"

"They did, just before the Great Battle of Hogwarts."

"Good. I'm glad the Weasleys were all together before it happened. I hope I'm that lucky with my parents. We haven't spoken since I left Majorca. They… weren't exactly thrilled when I went back home to find Harry."

Luna looked up at Dudley for a minute, her blue eyes sad. "I hope it works out for you, Dudley. It's good to have your business finished before you go on." Dudley nodded, and they headed into the shop.

"Welcome to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, my name is Verity. How are you this evening?"

"Quite well, Verity. My name is Dudley," the young man introduced himself.

"Dudley," said a familiar voice, "aren't you Harry's cousin?" And a redheaded young man lacking an ear came from the back room of the shop.

"Yes, I am. You're George, right? I'm sorry I was so hostile last time, and I apologize for my parents for not giving you a warm welcome," the large young man answered, offering a large hand for the surviving Weasley twin to shake.

"Thanks," George said, momentarily taken aback but taking the offered hand. "You're not angry about the Ton-Tongue Toffee?"

"No, actually," Dudley answered, laughing, "it actually helped me with my diet. I owe you one! And your brother…I wish I could've thanked him."

George was silent for a moment, then said, "Fred and I both thought you were a prat then for the way you treated Harry."

"I was, George, and I deserved it. Oh, have you met my date for the evening?"

"Date? Oh, Luna, I'm glad to see you!" George said, giving the blonde girl a hug. "Since when have you been going out with Dudley?"

"Oh, Harry set us up. He thought we might enjoy each other's company," she answered. "We'll be going out to dinner shortly."

"Sounds like a good evening. So what brings you in here?"

"I wanted to actually meet Harry's friends," Dudley answered, "and find out more about the world he came from. Luna was more than glad to oblige and we couldn't decide on any Muggle restaurants to eat at. Wow, that is cool!" "That" was a Weasley's Wildfire Whizbangs sparkler, diligently spelling out "poo" in the window.

"That's one of the things Fred and I came up with together when we were still attending Hogwarts," George said, laughing a little, but with detectable sadness. "Percy and I have tried coming up with some tricks, but I just haven't been able to come up with anything for a while." Dudley, intrigued, followed George into the backroom, while Luna went to look at the Wonder Witch products and Pygmy Puffs. "Let me see… I know I'm only a Muggle, but I do know what's funny."

"All right, then. Take a look at these," George said, showing Dudley a set of notes.

_George's Notes—Candy-based prank… foaming? Muggle-based… possibly not funny for wizards. Firework that shoots stars… lame…. Can of 'peanuts' that shoots live snakes… dangerous…_

Dudley looked up from the notes. "I think you've got a good idea in the candy, but why would foaming candy be lame? From what Harry's told me, your party crackers are incredible!"

"So how would you make it better for the Wizarding world?" The two talked for about an hour, while Luna waited. When Dudley realized the time, he quickly finished with George, promising to meet again soon. He prayed that Luna wouldn't slap him or leave, as he had made a crucial error.

"Luna, I'm so sorry, is there..?"

Luna, still at the Wonder Witch products, looked up and smiled. "I hoped you'd have fun with him, Dudley. Besides, the wait at the restaurants I mentioned shouldn't be bad by now. They're open very late because they're popular."

"You're not angry with me for leaving you?"

"Oh, goodness, no. I actually prefer men who are… somewhat unconventional." The young man took a deep breath of relief. Luna wasn't Cheryl, nor was she like any woman he'd ever met. And so, bidding George goodbye (it was Percy's evening off), Dudley and Luna headed toward the Diagon Alley restaurants…

_This is the first part of the date. I thought it might be fun for Dudley and Luna to go to Diagon Alley, and to meet George Weasley. I hope you liked this part, even though it's a bit serious. Next time… the date! Read and review, darlings! Thanks to Lilith Kayden for reviewing last!_


	4. The Date

Chapter IV: The Date

_Hello, again, everyone! I just had to finish another installment of my YGO fic and it required some changes before I could submit it. That thing is bigger than I thought it'd be. This fiction is also bigger than I thought, but that's okay. I didn't intend for the Diagon Alley section to be what it was, but that's the funny thing about this and my other stories. They come out of nowhere and I have to follow them where they lead._

_Anyway… I may have some British ancestry, but I'm just a Muggle who doesn't own Harry Potter or related characters… And now, the date…_

_**Author's notes, four years later: **__It would seem that JK Rowling has yet to establish middle names for Dudley and Luna. So my selections for their middle names remain._

As soon as Dudley Dursley and Luna Lovegood left Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, an enormous realization hit the young man…

_Oh, boy… I'm actually on a date with her! WHAT DO I DO NOW?_

He vividly remembered his first and only date with Cho Chang…

"So, Dudley, do you enjoy Quidditch?" she had asked him as they sat sipping tea.

"I've never actually seen it…"

"Do you enjoy _The Daily Prophet _or _The Quibbler?_"

"Umm… I haven't actually read them…"

"Do you know anything about Hogwarts? Or anything of the Wizarding world?"

"Umm… not a lot," he'd admitted, watching a crease appear in her brow…

_That evening didn't go well,_ Dudley reminded himself. He and Cho had been in a tea shop in Little Whinging for fifteen minutes when she left. Then his date with Eloise Midgen had ended in five minutes when they'd gone to the movies (a theater had played _William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet _(1996) for a charity) and he'd attempted to put his arm around her. Then at a park near Wisteria Walk with Parvati Patil…

"This is a lovely neighborhood, Dudley," Parvati Patil said as they walked on a warm evening.

"Thanks, I grew up here with Harry. I wish we'd been better friends in childhood," he admitted. Their trip to a coffee shop had gone better than the trip to the tea shop with Cho (thank God) and now the walk was going well. _Maybe I could hold her hand… _And then disaster struck.

"Don't move or I'll blow the girl's pretty head off!" growled a common thug, holding out a pistol. Dudley had one of two choices… put himself between the mugger and Parvati or do what he did… scream and run like he was being pursued by dementors.

Parvati groaned softly, pulled out her wand and said, "Stupefy." The mugger dropped, and she added, "Obliviate," erasing the mugger's memory of the encounter. _So much for a knight in leather armor, _she thought.

_The date with Padma didn't go well, either,_ Dudley now reflected. She'd asked him questions he hadn't had the slightest chance of answering, so he'd begun to resign himself to the fact that he'd be miserably alone. And so tonight, Dudley prayed in his head, _God, if You're there, please don't let me screw this up…_

"You can put your arm around me if you like, Dudley," Luna said gently. "It's an excellent way of warding off cold sprites."

"Okay, then," Dudley said, "if you're okay with that." He put his leather-clad arm around the petite blonde girl as they walked down Diagon Alley. "So where are we going?"

"Let's check out Haverforth's Muggle Burgers," she said. "I think you might like their take on Muggle hamburgers. They're made from Japanese beef, but they're cooked using Gubraithian fire."

"What kind of fire?" Dudley asked, a bit confused.

"Oh, I forgot… It's everlasting fire, so the place is open 24 hours. We also have cheese that's made from unicorn milk, so I think you'll really like them."

"Okay, then, let's try it…" _Unicorn cheese? I'll bet it tastes interesting._

The couple arrived at Haverforth's to find that the restaurant was somewhat quiet. "Welcome to Haverforth's, home of the Miggs Mad Muggle… Luna?" the waitress began to greet them and then squealed in surprise.

"Hi, Marina! Oh, Marina, this is my date, Dudley Dursley. He's Harry Potter's cousin. Dudley, this is Marina Pennyworth. She attended Hogwarts with my class and was one of my dorm mates in Ravenclaw."

Marina, a girl with raven hair and ocean-blue eyes, smiled. "A pleasure to meet you, Dudley. Are you a Muggle?"

"Yes, I am, actually," Dudley admitted, "and my cousin introduced me to this lovely young woman here. Luna's really delightful."

"I'll get you two a nice booth so you have some privacy," Marina said politely.

"She went to Hogwarts, too?" Dudley asked after they had sat down and Marina had stepped away.

"Oh, yes, and she helped Dumbledore's Army fight in my sixth year when the Death Eaters took over the school. She's most excellent with Charms and defensive spells."

"What are your gifts, Luna?" Dudley asked, glad that she'd opened the door for a question he could ask.

"Well, I was marked highly for Defense Against the Dark Arts and Herbology, as well as Charms. I can make a Cheering Charm that'll keep a person happy for 10 hours. I'm not great at Potions, but I'm adequate. I'm all right at Transfiguration, too. What about you? What are you good at in the Muggle world?"

Dudley sighed. "I'm good at boxing and reasonably talented at fixing automobiles and motorbikes, but I'm not good at much else. I spent too much time being a bully."

"Obviously, you didn't spend too much time being a bully, Dudley, because you seem very nice to me. Oh, you've been tagged by a blush spirit! How wonderful! They only come when people have strong emotions and need to express them!" Luna exclaimed delightedly as her date's face reddened. Her honest evaluation had startled him.

"So what does your father do, Luna? What kind of job does he have?" Dudley asked, still feeling his hot cheeks.

"He's the editor of _The Quibbler._ I found out Muggles have similar magazines. There's one in London called _The Daily Mirror_, but I think the difference is Daddy actually looks for the things he writes about. We've been trying to catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack for years, but it hasn't happened yet. I imagine I'll keep looking after Daddy's gone to join Mum if we don't find one. So what about your parents?"

"Well, until we went into hiding, Dad worked at Grunnings, a drill company. Mum's a stay-at-home mum, kind of like Ron Weasley's mum."

"That's wonderful. My mum was that way, too." The two had been looking over the menu, and Luna asked, "What kind of burger would you like?"

"I think I'll have the Unicorn Cheeseburger with flying bacon."

"I think I'll have the same."

HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP

Dudley and Luna thoroughly enjoyed their burgers and got a chocolate raspberry ice cream soda that they shared through straws. Dudley told Luna more about being raised in a house where you were forced to act like your cousin was a second-class citizen or didn't exist while Luna told Dudley what it was like being raised in a magical household that was unusual by wizard standards.

"I know I'm unusual, but that's all right. If I wasn't who I am, I wouldn't be me," she concluded contentedly.

"I wouldn't have you any other way," Dudley said gently. "You are a beautiful, smart and funny woman, Luna. What's your middle name, by the way?"

"My middle name is Rowena. I got the name from Rowena Ravenclaw, one of the four Hogwarts founders. What about you?"

"My middle name is Dunham. Mum and Dad thought it would be interesting if my initials were all alike. Unfortunately, my first name means 'common field' and my middle name means 'brown.' So I'm a brown common field."

"I don't think you are, Dudley. I think you're funny and handsome, as well as very brawny." Dudley smiled at this.

All too soon, the evening had to end. "I wish we could do more tonight, Luna," Dudley said as they went up the steps of Number Four, Privet Drive, "but I think if we didn't go home, I'd fall asleep at the wheel of the car. Could I see you again tomorrow, perhaps?"

"I'd love to, Dudley," Luna answered as they came to the front door. They paused at the door, and the young man was suddenly nervous. _I want to kiss her, but it's only our first date! I've kissed girls before, but only when we've played Spin the Bottle! I've never gone any further than that! What do I do?_

Fortunately for Dudley, Luna broke the nervousness. "The romance spirits tell me that you want to kiss me, is that right?" Feeling that honesty was the best policy in this instance, Dudley nodded. "Then you can kiss me if you'd like. I've never actually been kissed, you see."

"You haven't?" Dudley asked in surprise. She nodded, her blue eyes betraying just how nervous she was.

"No one ever wanted to…"

Dudley bent down a bit, hoping to God and Luna's romance spirits that he did this right. Luna, meanwhile, could hear her own heart pounding wildly. _What if I'm a terrible kisser? What if the Gernumblis haven't gifted me in romance? What if-?_ And then it happened…

It felt as if time itself had stopped. Dudley gently pressed his lips to Luna's and Luna instinctively knew to press back. The young man put his arms around her and she did the same. Finally, after about a minute, they broke apart. There was a wonderful sweetness between them, and Dudley reflected that if romance spirits were real, they'd done their job.

The couple agreed to meet again the next evening and go where the wind would take them…

_I typed this in a marathon, folks. I guess Luna would say I was gifted by the Gernumblis today. Thanks to my reviewer for the previous chapter, selenepotter, and I hope selenepotter isn't the last. selenepotter, in answer to your questions, 1) I think Luna would go as far as a kiss on the first date, 2) she acted pretty normal on getting kissed (I think she's normal in that regard), and 3) her needs may be pretty pedestrian. I think she's normal in some respects. There will probably be a bit of a time jump between this chapter and the next, so we won't see date number two. I tried to find Luna's middle name, but I guess Ms. Rowling didn't pick one for her or for Dudley. Keep those reviews coming, folks._


	5. The Beginning

Chapter V: The Beginning

_**Author's note, four years later:**__ I am rather glad I didn't write a full-blown lemon in retrospect. I believe it is most often more tasteful, not to mention more romantic, to cut away just as the writer is about to get to the "good stuff." Furthermore, this allows a story to keep a T rating as it doesn't get into the dirty details, leaving older readers to fill in the blanks. Finally, one's story can remain on FanFiction dot net this way._

_As I neglected to put this in the previous version of the chapter, Ms. Rowling owns anything having to do with Harry Potter. I don't. Thank you._

It had been nearly a month since Dudley Dursley and Luna Lovegood's first date in Diagon Alley. They had had another date the next evening at a Muggle restaurant in Little Whinging and ridden on the swings at a Muggle park. The two young people couldn't get enough of each other.

_I've never felt this way about anyone,_ Dudley thought as he looked at a photograph Luna had taken using a wizard's camera. The two of them were both laughing at a joke Dudley had just made (though he couldn't remember exactly what he'd said), but Dudley couldn't remember being happier. But now, he knew the only way to continue that happiness was to ask his beloved Luna a question that would hopefully alter the rest of their lives. He'd sent an owl to Xeno Lovegood (Harry had been kind enough to explain to his cousin how owl post was used) asking the man's permission to ask Luna for her hand in marriage. Xeno sent a letter back quickly, saying that he'd be pleased to have a Muggle son-in-law, and so Dudley had quickly gone to a jewelry shop to buy Luna something.

"Welcome to Ruby and Rose's," greeted the salesman, "what can I do for you today, young man?"

"I'm trying to find a piece of jewelry for a special someone," Dudley answered, "because I'm asking her to marry me."

"Well, we have a lovely selection of rings…"

"She's not the type for rings… I was thinking more of a necklace…"

"I see," answered the salesman, "is she not into rings?"

"It's not that, but she is a very extraordinary young woman and I want something that reflects that," Dudley explained.

"All right, then. Let's take a look at the necklaces for young ladies, then…"

When Dudley followed the salesman over to the necklace case and saw the choices, he remembered his cousin talking about how confused he'd been at Ollivander's Wand Shop on his eleventh birthday. _I just wish the necklace would choose me like Harry's wand chose him,_ the blonde man thought. And then, he saw it…

It was a silver necklace with a cone-like seashell charm on it. _Like the horn on a Crumple-Horned Snorkack, _he could hear Luna saying. The only thing that made it different was that the "horn" had a sapphire in it. "That's the one… She loves… er… seashells," he said to the salesman.

"You're quite sure, young man?"

"I am, sir. She will love this almost as much as we love each other…" The salesman had the bored look of a man who'd heard this line many times before, but wished Dudley luck with the "lovely young lady." After Dudley made his purchase, he made a stop at a drugstore because he was nearly certain he and Luna would be taking their relationship to the level they had chosen to avoid…

Two weeks earlier, Dudley and Luna had returned from seeing a very good romantic movie, and the young man had invited the young woman into Number Four, Privet Drive for a cup of tea. They had sat down on the couch in the living room, but as it happened, tea was the farthest thing from their minds.

"Dudley, do you want to kiss me?" Luna asked in her sweet way.

"I do. Can we do a little more than that?" She nodded, smiling. They had progressed from kissing to French kissing rather quickly, and were now at the point they were ready for making out. Dudley was thankful he'd taken his jacket off and that Harry was at the Weasley's this evening because there wouldn't be an interruption. "Luna, if we start going somewhere you don't feel ready for, you tell me right away, all right?"

"I know you'll stop if I tell you, won't you, Dudley?" Now it was his turn to nod.

As always, the young couple began kissing slowly, and progressed to kissing deeply. Dudley put one hand on Luna's back, while the other went to her hair. She wrapped her willowy arms around him and pressed up against him. He pressed against her as well, and then she placed her hands under his T-shirt as he got a hand under her blouse. Pretty soon, Luna was laying down on the couch as Dudley was on top, pressing against her. He moved his broad, warm hands to her chest, and it was then that Luna stopped it.

"We can't," she said breathlessly, "I'm not ready." Dudley, equally breathless, sat up.

"That was amazing," he said softly, "and I can wait. You'd be my first, Luna, if we did."

"You'd be my first, too," she admitted. "I think it's worth it to wait. I promised myself I'd wait until I was with the man who was going to be my husband. So we'd have to be at least engaged."

"Then marry me, Luna," Dudley said, laughing a little. She laughed, too, but recognized the danger.

"We'll see where we go, Dudley…"

In the present, Dudley would respect if Luna didn't want to be intimate tonight, but he wanted to be ready for the possibility that they might be. He quickly made his purchase at the drugstore, then went to a grocery store to get the stuff he needed for a romantic dinner for two. Finally he went to a flower shop, bought two dozen red roses and a bunch of rose petals that he would scatter over the floor, leading up to the master bedroom.

Winky the house elf had been only too glad to cook the entire meal for Dudley using her own brand of magic. "Don't you worry, Master Dudley," she said, "Winky is glad to makes your dinner." Dudley, meanwhile, went up to the bedroom, showered, shaved, dressed and prepared the room. He had done some reading about intimacy, particularly what the first time was like for women, and wanted Luna to be very relaxed and happy when they became close. He headed back downstairs an hour later, and Luna arrived shortly thereafter.

"Good evening, Dudley," Luna said. "Are we alone this evening?"

"We are. I wanted it to be just us. Winky prepared dinner for us and I asked her to go to Harry's this evening. I wanted it to be just us…"

"The romance spirits are strong this evening. Do you have something planned?"

"You might say that… Come in and have some supper…"

Dudley had had Winky fix an appetizer salad, followed by a crab risotto, then crème brulee for dessert. And then, Dudley pulled a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator and poured it into two flutes. He was very nervous and had been quiet throughout the evening, and Luna asked him about it.

"Dudley, darling, you've been rather quiet this evening. Is something the matter or have the Silence Springslotters gotten at you?"

"It's neither," he answered, removing a blue velvet box from his pocket, "but it has something to do with the romantic spirits in the air… Luna Rowena Lovegood, you are the most wonderful woman I have ever met. You have accepted me, warts and all, and I love you because you are fanciful, funny, sweet and… the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me, Luna?"

Luna Lovegood had wondered when Dudley would ask her to marry him, but hadn't expected it in a month. However…_The romance spirits have blessed us, as have the Gernumblis…_ She looked up at Dudley with those strange, yet beautiful pale eyes of hers and smiled. "Yes, Dudley, I will marry you. You are the most incredible young man I've ever met, and I can't imagine my life without you." They stood up and moved into each other's arms. They kissed, and it went from tender to passionate to downright hungry.

"Dudley," she asked breathlessly when they broke apart, "are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" In response, Dudley picked her up and carried her like a bride upstairs.

"I wasn't sure," he admitted, "if you'd want to get… close tonight… I could wait a bit longer if you want to, but if you don't, I'm all right with that, too…"

Luna looked at Dudley and smiled her mysterious and yet all-knowing smile… "I want to be close with you…"

The young man carried his love to the master bedroom, and when they got to the door, he groaned softly, "I wanted to have candles lit…"

"No problem," she answered, pulling her wand gently from her pocket. She gave the wand a wave and all of the candles in the bedroom were lit. "Set me down, darling," she said softly. "I'll get into something more comfortable." He set her down and expected her to undress in the bathroom, but instead, she transfigured her existing outfit into a diaphanous white negligee. Dudley had never seen Luna like that; specifically, he'd never seen her body without substantial clothing, and he thought she looked beautiful. And around her neck was the necklace he'd chosen as the symbol of their love.

"Hold on a moment," he said, "I'll be right back." Dudley headed into the bathroom with his pajamas. _Oh, I hope I do this right for her sake… She loves me… She really loves me and we'll spend the rest of our lives together._ He pulled off his regular clothes and pulled on some gray silk pajamas. He padded back into the bedroom and Luna was sitting on the bed, waiting for him._ Oh, bugger…_

"It's all right, Dudley," the pale-eyed young woman said gently. "Don't worry; it's my first time making love, too. Don't be frightened. You'll please me even if you're not perfect." With that, she gently moved further onto the bed to make room for her fiancé.

Dudley Dunham Dursley moved next to Luna Rowena Lovegood. She had carefully brushed her hair this evening, and instead of being straggly, it was a fluffy golden cloud. He gently ran his fingers through her hair and then she moved her hands to his back. And then, they kissed again lovingly. The young man moved his hands to his love's back, moving his lips slowly down her chin and to her neck. And thus began a dance as old as time itself, in which two bodies became one, and two souls sought union…

Two hours later, Dudley and Luna lay cuddled against each other in the big warm bed. "So when should we get married?" she asked, head lying on his buff chest.

"I'd like to wait a little bit. I'm hoping Mum and Dad will make up with Harry before we do. What kind of wedding do you want? I'm open to anything…"

"Well," Luna answered, "I think I'd like to buck Wizarding tradition. Usually, we have a big magical celebration and I don't think I want that. Have you heard of a place called Las Vegas?"

_You weren't expecting that, were you? Luna wants to get married in Las Vegas! If you've read "Reconciliation," you know that they're not getting married for a bit, so there will be another time jump. And I'm sorry if you were expecting a lemon, but I don't think I can write well what I have not experienced. Next time, the wedding. And if anyone has suggestions for a good wedding chapel in Vegas in 2000, add that in your review! Thanks!_


	6. Wizard Las Vegas

Chapter VI: Wizard Las Vegas

_Hello again, loyal readers! Sorry for the delay; I was trying to find some really gaudy Las Vegas wedding chapels for this chapter for inspiration. However, I couldn't find anything on the Web that worked. So I've come up with something else. Thanks again, selenepotter, for your suggestions. I hope you, and all of you readers like what I ultimately came up with! Enjoy!_

_**Author's notes, four years later:**__ I decided to stick with the traditional Muggle ceremony I originally wrote. I doubt Muggles in the Potter-verse would quite figure out how to mimic a Wizarding world wedding, at least a UK version. I could be wrong, of course, but I do hope I'm not. As usual, I don't own the Harry Potter universe._

It had been six months since Dudley Dunham Dursley had proposed to and been accepted by Luna Rowena Lovegood. It had also been a month since Dudley had last seen his father, Vernon, and about two weeks since Vernon had dropped dead of a massive heart attack. Dudley had mourned his father, but realized that life must go on. The young couple had been trying to decide on a wedding date in Las Vegas and now Dudley was finally ready to commit to a date.

"Luna, my love, why don't we go in a couple of days?" the young man asked as he idly brushed a lock of Luna's hair away from her lovely eyes as they lay in bed together.

"Dudley, are you serious?" Luna asked as she put herself in a better position against her lover. "A couple of days?"

"Do you think your dad would be okay with that?"

"Well, Daddy's always been a bit spur-of-the-moment, so I think he would be. What about your mum?"

"She actually has been waiting for this since she found out about us…"

About four months before, Petunia hadn't been back in her own house very long when she realized that… "There's just not enough food in this house! Dudders, I'm going to the market! Need anything?" She didn't notice that Dudley seemed a bit distracted which was understandable as she hadn't seen him in three months.

"I'm all right, Mum, but you could pick up some chocolate bars. I've been good about limiting them, but occasionally I do get a craving for them," he answered. Petunia left for the market, and Dudley's cousin, Harry, had departed shortly thereafter, knowing full well what Dudley was distracted about…

Two hours later, Petunia returned from the market with a great assortment of groceries. "Mistress Petunia, let me be helping out with those bags," squeaked Winky, the house elf.

"Thank you, Winky, dear," Petunia said to the small female elf. "I'll be going upstairs a moment. I think I need to check something in Harry's old room."

"Yes, Mistress," and Winky went to work, putting the groceries away, then scrubbing the kitchen for the third time.

_I really must give Winky a new outfit,_ Petunia reflected as she walked up the stairs. She opened Harry's old bedroom door to see just how clean and cozy it now was. It had been repainted in a very handsome taupe and several Wizard photos graced the walls, including a prominent one of baby Harry with Lily and James, his parents. "I'm sorry, Lily… I just wish I could've said it while you were here…"

And then Petunia heard something from the master bedroom. It sounded like thumping, squeaking and a great deal of panting. _What in the world..?_ Petunia wandered down the hall, and stopped at the door. It was ajar, so she naturally poked her head in. What she saw was her son, a young blonde woman beneath him and they were both in the throes of passion. "Oh my goodness!" Petunia yelped. It was a very natural reaction and one that naturally startled the two lovers out of what they were doing.

"MUM!" Petunia had barely heard her son's exclamation as she headed down the hall and to the kitchen, her face as red as a Buckingham Palace guard's jacket. Dudley, rather surprised, looked down at Luna, who oddly wasn't that startled.

"I knew we should've scanned the house for Cupid-killing Capsters," she said calmly as she sat up, Dudley moving off of her. "Was that your mother, Dudley?"

"Yeah, it was. I thought we'd be done before Mum got home… I didn't expect us to have a fifth go, you know," Dudley said as he grabbed his blue boxer shorts and pulled them on, followed by his bathrobe.

Luna pulled on her pink cotton high-cut panties and pulled on her bathrobe. "I didn't, either, darling, but when the romance spirits are with you, things don't often go according to plan. Well, let's go meet her, then…"

The couple went downstairs where Petunia was sitting, a small brandy in her hand. "Oh, Dudley, I'm so sorry…"

"It's all right, Mum, we should've locked the door… Oh, this is my fiancée, Luna Lovegood. She attended Hogwarts with Harry."

"Hello, Mrs. Dursley," Luna said, gently extending her hand to her fiancé's mother. "Terribly sorry you found out about us the way you did, but the romance spirits were very much with us this afternoon…" And so began the relationship between Luna Lovegood and Petunia Dursley…

"I think Mum was relieved that we were getting married. She couldn't have stood it if her Diddykins was, well… just enjoying certain pleasures without attachment," Dudley now explained to Luna.

"Daddy, I think, would've reacted far worse. I mean, he may be eccentric but he is very much a regular man when it comes to his only daughter. He knows about us, but I think he chose not to send you a hex because you're marrying me," Luna concluded, rubbing her smooth hand across Dudley's abdomen. "Anyhow, I think he'd be fine with us marrying in a couple of days… I've been researching Las Vegas and I found a wedding chapel that recently opened up. It's a Muggle chapel, but it is the Muggle interpretation of our world…"

HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP

Three days later, courtesy of the Wizarding World Transporter, a great deal like the matter transporter on a Muggle show called _**Star Trek**_, Dudley Dursley, Luna Lovegood, Petunia Dursley, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger and Xeno Lovegood arrived in Las Vegas at a large casino. No one had seen them appear, and Las Vegas is the place where people seem to appear out of nowhere.

"Luna, my dear, why did you and Dudley choose this place to be bonded for life?" Xeno asked his daughter.

"Daddy, I wanted Dudley and me to have an unusual ceremony," Luna explained, "and Dudley's a Muggle, so I thought we could have an unusual Muggle ceremony. I found a chapel off the Las Vegas Strip that just opened a few weeks ago, and it's supposed to be what Muggles think the Wizarding world would be like…"

"I can't believe we'll all be related to her, Harry," Ron whispered, laughing.

"She'll be my cousin," Hermione Granger said in disbelief, "and oddly enough, I think I like it…" And she joined in her fiancé's laughter. "And then Harry will marry Ginny, and they'll be my brother-in-law and sister-in-law. This is going to one wonderfully crazy family…"

"Guys, we haven't even set the date yet," Harry groaned softly. "Besides, I think it'll be a while before either Ginny or I are ready for anything yet…" Ron looked sharply at his best friend and then at his sister, deciding Las Vegas was not the place to discuss this.

Finally the entourage arrived at a wedding chapel on the outskirts of Las Vegas. It was as brightly colored on the outside as the shop window of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. "This is perfect," Luna said happily.

Petunia Dursley's eyes widened at the sight of the chapel. "Oh my goodness," she said softly. _Well, this isn't what I expected, but Dudley has the woman he loves with him and they'll be just as married._

Before they entered the chapel, Luna performed the bit of magic she had once used to transform her street clothes into a negligee. But this time, she used it to transfigure her clothes into a lovely white wedding dress. And then she said, "Petunia, I'd like to transfigure your clothes, too. The mother of the groom should look beautiful, too."

Petunia nodded, and said, "I didn't let my sister help me enough when I got married. Go ahead, dear." And Luna used her magic to transfigure Petunia's clothes into a sun-yellow gown.

"Daddy says sun colors bring luck to a wedding. I hope you like this," Luna said gently. "I think my mother might have worn something like this if she could be here in this world." And Petunia hugged her soon-to-be-daughter-in-law.

"Thank you, darling." And together, the entourage—men in tuxedos, women in gowns—entered the chapel.

"Welcome to the Wizard Wedding Chapel," said a man dressed as Gandalf the Grey, "I'm Matt and I assume the young lady in the white is getting married. Who's the happy hubby?"

Dudley raised his hand. "I am."

"And who's the best man and maid of honor?" Harry and Ginny raised their hands. "Okay," Matt said, rubbing his hands together briskly, "the whole thing costs 100 bucks. That includes the license, fees and the whole shebang." Petunia paid.

Matt led everyone into a very garish chapel. It was decorated with giant magic wands for pillars, bright orange dragons at the front of the chapel, and seats that looked carved out of rock, but were actually plastic. Everyone but Dudley, Luna, Harry and Ginny sat down in the seats, and the ceremony began.

"Dearly beloved," said Matt, "we are gathered here in the sight of God to join Dudley and Luna in holy matrimony. If anyone here has any reason why these two people should not be joined, speak now or forever hold your peace." No one said anything, so he continued, "Do you, Dudley, take Luna to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Dudley said.

"And do you, Luna, take Dudley to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Luna breathed joyously.

"Then, by the power vested in me by this chapel and the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss each other." He waved a fake wand, which shot streamers over the happy couple and the small assembly. The new Mr. and Mrs. Dursley went up the aisle and they and their family went to the foyer for pictures and cake.

HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP HP

Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Petunia and Xeno left for England half an hour after the ceremony concluded. The happy couple, meanwhile, had gotten one of the best honeymoon suites in Las Vegas and made good use of it. Being underage in America, they couldn't order champagne, but they could order sparkling apple cider with their strawberries. They lounged in a very large heart-shaped bathtub as they enjoyed their treat.

"So, Luna, darling, how many children do we want?" Dudley asked, sidling up to his lover and new wife and putting a wet arm around her slim shoulders.

"I'll take as many as you can give to me," she answered. "I always wanted brothers and sisters, Dudley, and I don't want to have just one child. Is that all right with you?"

"Most definitely," he answered, pulling her into a deep kiss…

_Do I need to do another chapter or shall I end it here? Read and review, folks!_


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue: 7 Years After the Wedding…

_This is the final chapter in "When Dudley Met Luna." I decided I needed a final chapter to really complete the story. We left off at the wedding, and again, we're having a time jump. Thanks to my reviewers, Lily Louisea and undercrisis! So here's the final…_

_**Author's note, four years later: **__I come to the end of this edit with a sense of nervousness as well as joy. I hope my new readers as well as the old ones enjoy the changes. Thank you very much for your patience and as always, kindly remember that the world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. We fans just play in it._

Of all the places in the world Dudley Dursley had never expected to be, this place was on the top of that list. Petunia Dursley had once dreamed of being here, but had never had the talent her sister, Lily was gifted with. Luna Dursley had proudly gone to school here and wanted to show her husband of three years where she had trained and fought.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Luna said calmly as they entered the gates. "I suppose I should've had Hagrid bring the boats for us so you'd have the 'first year' experience."

"That's quite all right, Luna, dear," Petunia said. "Besides, you've seemed a bit under the weather lately. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh, yes, I'm quite all right. I suspect it's the time of year. A Crumple-Horned Snorkack was spotted and it's the time of the new moon," the blonde young woman said. "Oh, Harry's here with Ginny." Ginny Weasley-Potter was pregnant, though not too many people knew it yet. The Potter couple came up to them and they went as a group for a tour.

"So this is the aunt and cousin I've heard about, is it?" Minerva McGonagall said, pushing back her spectacles.

"Yes, Professor, it is," Harry Potter answered, a slightly sheepish grin on his face. He hadn't been complimentary of his Muggle family until about seven years ago.

"Harry, you may call me Minerva now. For heaven's sake, it's been nine years since you saved the world, so I think you can stop with this 'Professor' business. So could you please introduce us?"

"Well, Minerva," Harry said, "this is my cousin Dudley," (Dudley shook Minerva's hand) "and my Aunt Petunia. She was Mum's sister."

"I remember your sister, Petunia. She was good in Transfiguration classes, but she was excellent in Potions and Charms. She hated being on bad terms with you," Minerva stated as a strangely misty look came into her dark eyes.

"I know. It took me a long time to realize what a fool I'd been. It wasn't until Dudley showed me and my late husband that I really understood. And now I've got two boys to be incredibly proud of." Petunia and Minerva chatted together while the young people walked on ahead. Harry, Ginny and Luna proudly showed off the Great Hall, the many classrooms, Gryffindor Tower, the Hufflepuff dorms (Professor Sprout was more than eager to show it), the Slytherin dorms (a monument to Severus Snape had been erected in the years since he was murdered by Lord Voldemort and the truth of his allegiances had become known) and Ravenclaw Tower.

It was at Ravenclaw Tower that Luna told the rest of the tour group that she and Dudley needed to take a rest. "Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey, Luna?" Harry asked his cousin-in-law, a little bit concerned.

"Oh, no, Harry, I just need a rest," Luna answered. "Stay with me, Dudley."

"We'll catch up with you later, guys," Dudley said as they left the common room. "Are you sure you're all right, Luna?" he asked when the rest of the party had left.

"Oh, I'm quite all right, Dudley. Do you remember how I said that a Crumple-Horned Snorkack was spotted at the time of the new moon?"

"Yes, but why would that make you sick?"

"I'm actually not sick, darling…"

"Then why have you been throwing up in the mornings lately?" And then realization hit Dudley like the fist of one of his former boxing opponents. "Hang on… Does spotting a Crumple-Horned Snorkack in the time of the new moon mean that you're… pregnant?"

"Yes, it does, with twins as a matter of fact. I wanted to tell you here because this is where they'll spend part of their lives as I did…"

Dudley held his wife close and kissed her. He'd finally seen the magical place his wife, his aunt and his cousin had called their second home, and truly understood why they felt so.

They left Ravenclaw Tower and caught up with the group at the Albus Dumbledore Memorial. "'Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,'" Dudley read.

"That was on his mum and sister's tombstone at Godric's Hollow," Harry explained. "I asked the Ministry to add it after the final battle because Professor Dumbledore's heart was always at this school. His treasure was us… the students and his colleagues."

"I understand that… My treasure is with my family; my wife… and my coming children," Dudley said, smiling.

"Luna?" Ginny asked, a comprehending grin on her face. Luna nodded.

If treasure was found in hearts, Dudley and Luna knew that their treasure lay in each other's. Their years together, and their future children would make the treasure of their hearts grow bigger. About three years later, in fact, they would realize this very strongly at a Celebration of Nothing in Particular.

**The End**

_I hope you all enjoyed this ending. I know it's probably a bit fluffy, but I think my style is pretty fluffy. Read and review! Cheers!_


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